High Society

Cole Porter’s magnificent musical tells the story of Tracy Lord, a beautiful society hostess whose pending second marriage is put in jeopardy by the arrival of her first husband and a sleazy journalist on the lookout for juicy gossip. Based on the play The Philadelphia Story and including such classic songs as True Love, Well Did You Ever and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, this brand-new stage version of the hit 1956 film stars Call The Midwife’s Helen George and Slow Horses’ Freddie Fox. The show is helmed by former Birmingham Rep artistic director Rachel Kavanaugh.

A lavish new version of Cole Porter’s famous musical High Society - complete with a 28-strong cast and a full-size orchestra - visits the region this month. Its stars, Helen George and Freddie Fox, tell What’s On what attracted them to the show, and why it remains such a classic. The comedy revolves around the wedding of a pretentious Long Island socialite to an equally pretentious businessman.

Proceedings descend into chaos (as well as borderline farce) when old and new flames turn up - all watched over by a journalist desperately hoping for tabloid-worthy scandal. Written by Arthur Kopit, with music & lyrics by Cole Porter, High Society features a slew of jazz standards by the latter - True Love, Let’s Misbehave, I Love Paris, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? to name but a few. And, according to Helen George, who plays lead character Tracy Lord, while the show remains resolutely of its era, the tunes are timeless - as is the winning blend of Golden Age escapism and screwball comedy. ‘It’s a bit like [TV series] The White Lotus because everybody’s in this world of wealth and fabulousness, and how can we relate to that?’ she says. ‘But actually, we can’t take our eyes off them, and there are really relatable themes about love and pain amidst all the fun and fantastic songs.’ Although the Birmingham-born actress and Aston Villa fan (as a youngster she harboured dreams of becoming the team’s first female manager) is best known for playing Nurse Trixie Franklin in BBC TV’s Call The Midwife, Helen has also built up quite a stage career, including key parts in musicals such as The King And I and Cinderella.

She loves the challenge of playing iconic characters but admits it can be daunting to follow in the footsteps of superstars who have already appeared in those roles; the legendary Grace Kelly took the part of Tracy in the 1956 film version of High Society. ‘I’m not thinking about it, because it’s just too intimidating,’ Helen admits. ‘It was the same with The King And I, which had this legacy of incredible actresses playing the part of Anna. My concern is finding my own take on the character, and I love that I get to play these very rounded and fulfilling roles - especially in a show that’s as gorgeous and joyous as this one.’ Her High Society co-star, Freddie Fox, who makes his professional musical theatre debut in the show, is quick to agree, and admits the role of journalist Mike Connor (played by Frank Sinatra in the film) is something of a dream come true. ‘I’ve been building up to this since the age of four, when I saw my first musical at the National Theatre,’ he says cheerfully. ‘It was the same with Cabaret and The Producers, so finally getting to star in a musical is the realisation of a boyhood fantasy.’ Helen is similarly enthusiastic about the production: ‘It’s a wonderful, fabulous, sophisticated escape of an evening, with a huge orchestra and a big brass section. There’s just so much joy in this show.

The costumes are incredible, the songs are amazing, and I’m over the moon with the cast and crew that I get to work with.’ Both actors are also excited to be taking the show (which opened at the Barbican in London in May) on tour around the UK, including a stop-off at Birmingham venue The Alexandra this very month. ‘Taking a show out of London is what it’s all about for me,’ says Freddie. ‘Theatre should be for absolutely everybody. As we face a kind of technological revolution, the effects of which we can’t quite predict, with AI and the like, theatre is more important to us than perhaps it’s ever been in our history. Taking a show on tour and giving people a great night out is just one brick in that enormous wall.’ Helen, who trained at Birmingham School of Acting and Royal Academy of Music, is on exactly the same page: ‘Without getting on my soapbox, I think touring productions are so important.

I grew up in Birmingham and saw so many wonderful touring shows, and that’s what made me want to do what I do now.’ That, and the chance to put smiles on people’s faces at a time when so much of what’s going on around the world is rather less cheery, she adds. High Society shows at The Alexandra, Birmingham, from Tuesday 18 to Saturday 22 August. By Steve Adams Wed, 22 Jul 2026